Rollover, other crashes stall Route 2

Ice is the suspected cause of several accidents that occurred around sunrise this morning the hilly, curvy section of Route 2 between Mount Elam Road and the Merriam Avenue exit.

The icy stretch claimed its first victim - a spinout - about 7:15 in the downhill curve on the Fitchburg-Leominster line.

The driver apparently went down the hill, hit an icy patch, braked and spun out, according to state police.

“Then six others did the same thing,” said Trooper Todd Nolan, a spokesman for the State Police.

The trooper said the first vehicle was able to right itself, and drove off.

Within a couple of minutes, a motorist assistance van reported three more spinouts on the same stretch of highway, and minutes later, a couple of other crashes, including a white Chevy Blazer that rolled onto its side.